ACCOUNTABILITY AUGUST: Advocacy Toolkit

Action Alert 07.31.2025

Hashtags: #SaveHIVFunding #CutsKill

Call Your Senators and Representatives

Sample Social Media Posts

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Overview: 

Now through the fall, Congress will work to finalize Fiscal Year 2026 spending. Given conservative advocacy for budget austerity and spending cuts, the HIV community needs to urge Congress to fully fund HIV programs because cuts kill. 

For the past two years, the HIV community has successfully beaten back funding cuts proposed by Congress. This year, the stakes are higher and the battle ground is tougher, so the HIV community must act now and sustain its advocacy throughout the fall. 

Maintaining critical, life-saving HIV program resources that support and protect people living with and vulnerable to HIV nationwide is paramount. Please join the Save HIV Funding Campaign in urging Congress to reject cuts and fully fund life-saving, cost-effective HIV programs!

Take Action:

Join the fight. Sign up for Save HIV Funding training series on direct action, media engagement, and in district meetings, or contact Maxx Boykin at [email protected].

#SaveHIVFunding by using the toolkit below to contact your members of Congress in August and throughout the fall, because cuts kill!

Call Your Senators and Representative:

How to call:

You can reach your federal Representative and your two Senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asking for them by name. 

To find your federal Representative and two federal Senators, please visit: Who represents me? – Ballotpedia  

Suggested call script:

Please feel free to change the script below as needed to best reflect your lived experience and/or state or district. 

  • Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I’m a constituent [living/working/caring for people] in your state. 
  • I urge [Sen./Rep. Name] to support robust FY26 funding for federal HIV programs. [The Save HIV Funding Campaign supports the funding requests in this chart. Please note, you do not need to discuss the chart, but you can share it with offices if it feels appropriate.]
  • Cuts to federal HIV prevention, treatment, care, research, and housing funding would:
    • Hurt people living with or vulnerable to HIV by reducing access to critical, life-saving services, and
    • Cut jobs in HIV programs throughout our state.
  • Federal HIV programs have more than 35 years of bipartisan support.
  • Federal HIV programs are effective and save money.
  •  HIV prevention is cost-effective – Each year, there are approximately 32,000 new cases of HIV, and each new case has expected lifetime medical costs of more than $500,000. This is more than $16 billion in new lifetime medical costs each year.
  • The Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative has reduced HIV incidence by 21% in EHE jurisdictions – 3.5 times better than non-EHE jurisdictions – because EHE jurisdictions have additional resources to expand access to HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services, including PrEP (HIV prevention medication).
  • The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is an effective federal program that provides HIV care, treatment, and support to more than 550,000 people nationwide. 
    • The program has helped more than 90% of its clients achieve viral suppression, which indicates HIV treatment success and prevention of HIV transmission. 
    • Maintaining funding for all parts of the Ryan White Program is critical, including Part F, which supports access to dental programs; training and education that helps primary care physicians and other non-HIV specialists treat people living with HIV; and implementation of evidence-based programs that improve HIV treatment and prevention outcomes.
  • HIV research has led not only to effective HIV treatment and prevention, including PrEP – a medication that is 99% effective at preventing HIV – but also to treatment discoveries for other diseases, such as cancer.
  • The HOPWA program provides housing to people living with HIV, and housing is a critical resource that helps people engage in care and maintain their health. 

If you leave a voicemail: Please state your full street address to ensure your call is counted. 

Thank you so much for your advocacy and please share this alert with allies so that they can call too!

Post on Social Media:

  • Social media handles for your Senators and Representatives are here. (Please note, the info is arranged by Senate and House, and then by state.)
  • If you need additional social media platform handles, to find it, please google the name of the Senator or Representative and the social media platform.
  • Please feel free to edit the messages below to fit the social media platform(s) you use.

Sample Social Media Posts (please feel free to present posts in a thread):

Short Posts

.@Sen./Rep.________ I urge you and Congress to fully fund HIV programs in FY2026! Federal #HIV programs serve indivs & communities nationwide by saving lives, improving health, and cutting health care costs. #SaveHIVFunding

.@Sen./Rep.________ #HIV prevention is cost-effective – preventing just one case of #HIV saves $500,000. Reducing the 32,000 new HIV cases in the U.S. annually would save billions and improve health for individuals nationwide! #SaveHIVFunding 

.@ Sen./Rep. _______ Ending #HIV in the U.S. needs ready access to #HIV treatment, prevention, research & housing as well as education & training for providers. Pls support robust funding for federal HIV progs, incl. for ppl most impacted by disparities. #SaveHIVFunding 

.@Sen./Rep. _______ the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides effective #HIV care & treatment to 550,000+ ppl nationwide – over 90% of its clients achieve viral suppression which indicates effective treatment & prevents transmission. #SaveHIVFunding

Longer Posts

.@Sen./Rep. ______ cuts to federal #HIV prevention, treatment, care, and research funding would hurt people living w/ or vulnerable to HIV by reducing access to critical, life-saving services, as well as cut jobs in HIV programs throughout our state. Congress must robustly fund federal #HIV programs in FY26 to save lives and reduce costs! #SaveHIVFunding 

.@Sen./Rep. ______ #HIV programs have a more than 35 year history of bipartisan support. With approximately 32,000 new cases of HIV in the U.S. each year – with a lifetime medical cost of more than $500,000 for each new case – we add $16 billion in new lifetime medical costs each year. Ready access to #HIV prevention and treatment would save these costs while improving health and saving lives. Congress must fully fund #HIV programs in FY26 spending bills! #SaveHIVFunding